Amazing location!

The big road trip has begun - correction, my big road trip has begun.
I am currently in a coffee house in Birmingham, Alabama, enjoying my low key day of setting up some shoots for later in August, visiting a friend I have not seen in about two years, and of course a small amount of shooting, even if today was deemed a "day off."

I had a quick shoot in a home which essentially looked like a museum. This man had his own artwork all over the place, and an immense collection of art, antiques, taxidermy and religious art which I suppose still fits under the art category. I had been well warned before entering the masterful collection of items which were combined to create rooms of majestic, and bizarre, grandeur. Life sized statues stood in corners and hung from ceilings; animal skins softened the floors; religious paraphernalia lined cabinets, next to mannequin hands, animal remains, sculptures of friendly creatures. The rooms featured rich colors, with one room boasting reds and yellows with all of the now flattened and trampled upon jungle animals which were reduced to just their gorgeous skins, and combined with deep brown woods which comprised the cabinets. The main room had works reminiscent of the renaissance era, paneling painted with primary colored royalty; plush, pillow clad sofas filled the center of the room, so beautifully decorated that you dared not sit on them.

Unable to resist, I first donned a tough, leather pregnancy mask. The size was about right for my proportions and if being pregnant is anything close to as difficult to maneuver in as this extra, round bulk, then I admire woman who can handle the beginning stages of motherhood. (I am fairly certain true pregnancy is much worse than my temporary costume.) Next my animalistic weirdness emerged when I cloaked myself in a beautiful skin. There was a table with animal feet, which I had to curl under as well, because I was just the right size. I braved the plush couch, to pose with the panel of art behind me, but only after gingerly intertwining my limbs in a seated skeleton. The creepy dolls, and adorably deceased varmints too my attention for a few photos as well. And as tends to happen with this particular photographer friend, and when confronted with so many religious signs, we created our own religious art - a variety which would not meet the approval of my Catholic relatives.

 Photographed by Warren Hukill

Photographed by Edward Badham

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My current itinerary includes some extra days off, a huge list of locations, and an abundance of happiness. I would love to meet you in one of these areas, or on a small detour from my route.

July 16 - 17: Birmingham, AL 
July 18 - 20: Atlanta, GA 
July 21 -24: Asheville, NC 
July 25 - 26: Boone, NC 
July 27 - 30: Raleigh, NC 

July 31- Aug 1: Virginia 
August 2 -4: DC 
August 5 - 10: Baltimore 
Aug 11 - 12: Delaware 
Aug 13 - 14: Philadelphia, PA (and surrounding area) 
Aug 15 - 18: Morrisdale/State College, PA 
Aug 22 - 31: NYC (New Jersey/Connecticut) 

September 2 - 4: Albany, NY 
September 5 - 7: Boston (Massachusetts/New Hampshire) 
September 8 - 10: NYC 
Sep 11 - 13: Gettysburg, PA 
September 14 -16: Washington DC/Baltimore
September 17 - 21: Raleigh